Tropical Sun

Why does anyone need an ASK DON forum? I think an ASK ROD forum is more in order... or an ASK SOLARMETER forum is in order...

So here is my first question. Perhaps that is my second...

Anyway - now that you are not getting the funding that you desire, and you try to blame it all on TT, how close are you to achieving that godlike status that will allow you to open up your own independent lab for lamp analysis and gain the recognition that you seek? Will this make up for your past failures and let downs, or will this not even be good enough to satisfy yourself? If you happen to get funding, will this keep you from bashing TT and stick to the real problems at hand, or will you always have to jab at the other board in order to make yourself feel as if your own failures are not a direct result of... YOU...
How close are you to achieving your goals? Whatever happened to your being for the salon owner? Did you change your mind once you decided that you can get better results if you try to use the gov't against the salon owners... In other words you are trying to force regulations that would ultimately benefit you... without regards to the salon owners?

What happened to you Don... When Chicago failed... how personal did you take that... You abandoned friends... to make yourself feel better and less to blame...

Loser...

Rod

[ This Message was edited by: Tropical Sun on 2002-04-04 00:38 ]

Don Smith

Hey Mike ("Rod"):

A few quick "housekeeping" things before I try to respond to some of your inane comments and questions.

1. You've got to quit drinking cheap wine! As a rule of thumb, if it has a screw cap on it, leave it alone.

2. There is already an "Ask Rod" section on TrashingTheImageOfTanningToday called the "Pub" section.

3. As soon as Steve "reads" a real, live tanning bed in a real, live tanning salon with his meters, we'll consider setting up a special forum for him.

4. What REALLY has your panties in a wad, "Rod", is that I tried my best to get the "Pub" section deep-sixed (because of the damage it does to the image of the indoor tanning industry) and then made it clear that the continuance of this disgraceful section by your buddy Olin Mills was one of the main reasons I quit posting on TrashingTheImageOfTanningToday six months ago. My guess, Rod, is that you are ashamed of the Pub section now too!

Now, on to your "stream of alcoholic stupor" comments and/or questions.

1. Regarding the lack of funding. You bet it p*ss*s me off each month when Pat and I have to come up with the money to keep TSO and the UVR Research Institute going out of our own pocket and then do the work we are doing for no pay. However, as long as we feel that what we are doing is important to the future of the industry we will "keep on keeping on" whether you understand why we do it or not (I am a stubborn old *******!). I don't blame TrashingTheImageOfTanningToday for this situation; rather I blame myself for not being a better fund raiser.

2. The question "how close are you to achieving that godlike status that will allow you to open up your own independent lab for lamp analysis" shows how out-to-lunch you really are. The UVR Research Institute has been in operation for almost 2 years and, had you taken the time to attend the 2/7/02 and 2/8/02 FDA meeting, you would have heard me present some exciting data we have generated THAT BENEFITED ALL TANNING SALON OWNERS. Regarding my reaching a "godlike" status, that hasn't happened yet but I have hopes it will in the future - LOL. However, in the interim, we will be happy to put a statue of me in front of the the UVR-RI building if you will contribute the funds to build it.

3. "Will this make up for your failures and let downs" is an interesting question that says more about you than it does me. I learned a long time ago that how you react to "failures and let downs" is far more important than are the "failures and let downs" themselves. After a "failure and/or letdown", I sit back and lick my wounds, figure out what I did wrong, take corrective action and get moving again. The following words have sustained me through many years of "failures and let downs":

"Tis a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again.
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try again!

[William Edward Hickson: Try and Try Again]

4. Your insulting question "Whatever happened to your being for the salon owner" doesn't deserve an answer. My record speaks for itself!

5. You stated that "Did you change your mind once you decided that you can get better results if you try to use the gov't (government) against the salon owners...In other words you are trying to force regulations that would ultimately benefit you...without regards to the salon owners?".

My answer is the same as I gave in #2 "had you taken the time to attend the 2/7/02 and 2/8/02 FDA meeting" you would have heard me "stand and deliver" on behalf of all (including you, Rod!) tanning salon owners. If you doubt this, check with Robbie, Gene, Frank or Shari (who did take the time to attend and also publicly stand up for the rights of tanning salon owners). Also, NO ONE can make the government do anything the government doesn't want to do - that's one of our problems! Once again, Rod, my record of standing up for tanning salon owners over the past few years in the regulatory arena speaks for itself.

6. You asked "When Chicago failed...how personal did you take that" and, Rod, I took that defeat VERY personally. I spent a lot of time trying my best to organize a scientific program "by and for" tanning salon owners. It was the first time that the lotion diversion issue was discussed publicly; the first time the sunlamp compatibility issue was discussed publicly; a new skin typing/subtyping program was unveiled there; an exposure schedule concept was presented for the first time and the material presented by "real, live" salon owners like Marty and Carol was fantastic. In retrospect, I realize that little TSO (and me) were hopelessly outmatched going up against the combined "power" of the ITA and the manufacturers and we got our *** kicked!

So now a question for you, Rod. Do you think that the "strangle hold" that ITA now has on the two trade shows (Nashville and Las Vegas) is good for tanning salon owners? If you do, you are a bigger fool than I thought!

[Note: What will happen in the next few years, IMHO, is that TANNING SALON OWNERS will get fed up with what is happening and organize THEIR OWN trade show with the proceeds used to promote the activities that WE feel are important. Would ANY manufacturer dare not to attend a tanning salon owner trade show? Not if they wanted to stay in business!]

The rest of your "screed" consisted of personal attacks and so I won't bother to answer them. In the cosmic scheme of things, Rod, what you think of me doesn't matter much! For what it is worth, I like and respect the guy I see in the mirror every morning. Can YOU say the same thing?

Don [ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-04 04:59 ]

corvette

DON
WE LOVE YOU MAN,KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.

fungirlz

Tropical Sun:
I'd like to answer Why do we need a Ask Don Forum...
BECAUSE WE ASK DON TO HAVE AN ASK DON FORUM...
What a silly question..
Do you think he just made a forum with out us asking him?

Don we are so very glad you said you would do this for us..
You are greatly appreciated..
Love,
Chris
[ This Message was edited by: fungirlz on 2002-04-04 07:00 ]

Tan Talker

Isn't interesting that as we are trying to control ourselves and not respond to the negative blabberings from the members of the other board, one of them has to attack one of the most respected authorities in the industry with personal assaults on his integrity before we get to even ask a qualified question? Of course that would be our fault because we are accused of that behavior by those bozos all the time anyway.

I am tired of having to respond or defend so now I am going to do my best to ignore those irritating personal attacks if I can.

Don,
I wish I could take on the trashtalkers as logically and efficiently as you. When I grow up maybe I will have those skills. Keep up the good work and I will see you in June sometime.
Jim

[ This Message was edited by: Tan Talker on 2002-04-04 07:05 ]

Teresa

Don is a very intelligent man with tons of technical information, plus has a great sense of humor. I am so glad that we added the ask Don forum!!!!!
Thanks for agreeing to share your knowledge Don, we appreciate you.

Don Smith

Jim:

The "Administrator" at TrashingTheImageOfTanningToday weighed in regarding this new forum. His comments were, on the surface, critical of me but, under the surface, showed how deeply disturbed he is with the tremendous growth in popularity of www.tantalk.com!

I hate to be the one to break the bad news to him, but the the passengers are rapidly deserting his sinking ship!

Don

PS: Just had a thought. Do you think either Bruce or Rod could, together (a REAL pooling of ignorance - LOL), come up with a question that made sense to professional tanning salon owners?

MJ

Don,
Welcome!!! this is your forum and we will try to be patient with the Mod Squad. However, I like the way you handle them!!
I know we all are going to learn alot about the Goverment Issues, and UV in here.
So people... get your note pads and take notes!
"The DON" will be giving a pop quiz on at the next trade show. Just kidding..(I think )
Mj


_________________
TanTalk Moderator
TanTalk Rocks!!!
"And now back to tanning"--ChippMeet "Little Chunn Chunn!!"[ This Message was edited by: MJ on 2002-04-04 09:29 ]

Tropical Sun

Don -

The Pub is the Pub. I could care less what you thought of it then, or what you think of it now. I only know that it peeed you off that a man of your "caliber" was not listened to when you screamed for it to be removed. In your power filled, insecure mind, you felt that Bruce was choosing me over you, and it peeed you off to no end. You were never silenced over on TanToday, until I personally ran you off after taking a few jabs at you that seemed to be too much for you to take. You sure tried to dish it out, if I remember correctly you were the aggressor and I kept quite for some time, until I became fed up with you. But that really does not matter to me or anyone else. The only person it seems to matter to is you. You did not get the respect that you demand of others, so you left. You still read the other board daily, but no longer participate because you feel doing so would mean you failed again. You left in a huff, and now have to much pride to come crawling back with your tail tucked between your legs. You know as well as I do that the other board gets more readers, has more ideas, and gets more posts than all the other boards combined. You also know the other board has more influence over the tanning industry than you do - and that peees you off that you are not a participant of the real movers and shakers.

You do blame TanToday. In your quest to get more funding, you denounced TT once TT made the prediction that Chicago was done. TT did not take sides with the ITA, it simply reported what everyone knew to be true. Now who was it that gave you $200,000 in funding and equipment to help create the image they needed to pull themselves through? And what happened - you did not get them where they needed, and TT reported that Chicago was done. So, the people who strongly supported you were now labeled as traitors so that you could continue to get your funding that you need in order to play God simply because they predicted the demise of your piggy bank's show.

Your institute may have been open for two years, but you are only fooling those who stupidly follow you because they can not see what it is you are really trying to achieve. Don - you want to be premier, one and only, must have, DOMINANT research institute that continues to operate out of pure self greed. You are not doing this for the salon owners, you are doing it for your own ego. You admit that it peees you off that you have to pay for all this research out of your own pocket. I am willing to bet you would not mind if all the salon owners were FORCED to pay for this research. Wouldn't it be great if you were given a portion of every lamp made, bed sold, or regulator ever trained - even if it drives the price to the salon owner up? Since the salons won't support you financially, you feel you might as well FORCE THEM TOO and that is why you continue shifting your allies. You are looking for those who are willing to help you get there.

You, yourself also admitted to taking your failures, and finding out what you did wrong. The only thing I see you changing, is who you support in order to gain their support. Not only do you jump from one board to the next, with each move, you bad mouth the other.

You left TT and started out another board, and what has become of it. It is a page taking up cyberspace - that is it. Another attempt that you have made to stand out and become a leader, which has failed.

You shift sides, you abandon people who have helped your cause in order for you to save face. While your FDA medical issues are good, you are going to try and get yourself in a position of authority no matter what the cost to the salon owner. How many of your followers know that you would be happy if they were forced into keeping the same crappy technology of yesteryear because of you?

You have done some real good work Don. You have made the industry a better place - but somewhere along the way, you decided you and ONLY you knew what was the best for salon owners. You shifted your movement from helping the salon owner, to making the salon owner perform a certain way that you feel is the right way.

Why don't you tell them (your followers) the ultimate goal Don. You think you know whats best for the tanning industry, and you will only be happy when you are the deciding factor - even if it costs us salon owners tons of paperwork, endless regulations, and ultimately cripples our ability to improve.

Rod

Don Smith

Mike ("Rod"):

Most of your comments are nothing more than sophomoric "drivel" (alcohol fueled?) and so I won't waste cyberspace by answering them.

However, one question does deserve an answer.
You asked "Why don't you tell them (your followers) the ultimate goal Don" and here is my answer.

My "ultimate goal" is to play a small role in doubling the number of clients patronizing indoor tanning salons. Not only that, I hope I can play a role in helping to educate our clients that tanning year-round is the correct thing to do.

In order to accomplish this "ultimate goal", we must ALL become more professional.

More regulations, "Rod", are not the best way for our industry to become more professional (although many regulators believe that this is the only way to accomplish this goal); rather, we should all resolve to conduct ourselves in such a way that we do not need to be regulated (we all know this to be true and we must PRO-ACTIVELY take charge of our own destiny!).

Don